Naenae couple's concrete block barrier forces council to act on road safety

Speed humps and warnings signs are on their way for the corner of Waddington Drive and Cole Street, where three cars have crashed within 12 months. Photo / Melissa Nightingale

Changes are on the way for a Lower Hutt street which was so notorious for car crashes that a resident was forced to line his berm with concrete blocks.

Blair and Louise Ansell made headlines late last year for placing the six concrete blocks on their berm after a car ploughed through their fence into their front yard in the early hours of Boxing Day.

They live on the corner of Waddington Drive and Cole St.

An identical incident had happened at their Naenae home in January last year, causing the Ansells' sleepless nights as they worried for the safety of their children.

The two-tonne blocks proved their worth in January this year after another car crashed into them, making it the third crash on their corner in a 12-month period.

The Ansells and other residents have been calling for Hutt City Council to do something to reduce incidents in the area. Changes to the road have now been decided on.

Speed cushions, a zebra crossing, and curve warning signs are among some of the solutions to keep people from speeding along the street.

Hutt City Council on Tuesday approved a local area traffic management scheme to improve the safety of residents, pedestrians, cyclists and motorists on Waddington Drive.

A key objective of the scheme is lowering vehicle operating speeds to protect students of Naenae Primary School from traffic hazards on their way to and from school.

Council is now starting a procurement process to engage contractors.

Council transport divisional manager John Gloag said the scheme was the most effective way of reducing vehicle speeds on Waddington Drive, lowering the chance of injury to people and damage to property.

"The final design was completed with input from the local community during public consultation. While these projects can be relatively complex, council has moved with some urgency to improve safety on Waddington Drive and we expect work to get under way soon."

Safety improvements include the installation of six sets of speed cushions along the length of the road.

Speed cushions are similar to speed bumps, except they are not continuous across the road, meaning buses can travel through the gaps without having to brake excessively.

There will also be a raised zebra crossing at the primary school with full width speed bumps on either side, curve warning signs at the intersection of Waddington Drive and Cole St, upgraded LED streetlights, and new painted edge-line markings to define kerbside parking bays and narrow the carriageway.

The safety improvements are expected to be completed by the end of June. There will be some disruption to traffic during construction and council has asked drivers to be patient.

Blair Ansell said he hadn't had a thorough look at what the changes would be but, understood there would be a speed bump on his corner as well as further speed bumps and the raised crossing nearby, which would significantly reduce the speed cars could take the corner at.

"From what I see it's definitely going to sort the issue out on my corner," he said.

"You can't travel as fast as these guys have been going across those humps."

Ansell said the council had done "a pretty decent job" and that while there had been a lot of frustration for him and his family, "it's just going to be nice to see the work started and see the speed humps outside my corner".

Once the changes are made he will rebuild his fence for the fourth time. Ansell decided not to keep rebuilding the fence around his property while there was still a risk of cars crashing into it.

He wanted to thank everybody who had supported them to get change on the street.

Local Eastern Ward councillors Glenda Barratt and Lisa Bridson were pleased with the safety improvements.

"Council has listened to the concerns of the local community and officers have worked quickly to find a solution, which is so important when it's the safety of our community that is at risk," said Barratt.

Bridson said she was "very happy" with the scheme.

"We have to look after the safety of our kids," she said.

"We will be watching closely to ensure that it's doing what is intended, which is to slow drivers down."